Operations
Rio Tinto's Iron Ore group is one of the world's largest iron ore producers with approximately 23 per cent of seaborne iron ore trade. We have operations in Australia and Canada with development projects in Guinea (west Africa) and India.
The group includes iron ore operations in the Pilbara region of Western Australia, owned by Hamersley Iron and Robe River, and managed by Pilbara Iron. The Iron Ore Company of Canada (Rio Tinto: 59 per cent), in eastern Canada was acquired in 2000. Our portfolio also includes the HIsmelt facility in Kwinana, Western Australia, and the Orissa (India) and Simandou (Guinea) deposits. Our head office is located in Perth, Western Australia. In 2008, Dampier Salt Limited transitioned into the iron ore product group to capture synergies through geographical proximity to our Pilbara operations.
Pilbara
Our Pilbara operations consist of a network of 14 mines, three shipping terminals and the largest privately owned railway in Australia.
Expansion Projects
Rio Tinto Iron Ore Expansion Projects manages major expansion projects in the Pilbara, from conceptual, through pre-feasibility and feasibility phases and into construction and commissioning.
Labrador City and Sept-Îles
Our Canadian operations consist of a mine, concentrator and pellet plant located in Newfoundland and Labrador, with port facilities in Sept-Îles, Quebec. A 418 kilometre railway links the mine to the port. Our iron ore strategy saw Canadian operations expand production capacity to 18.4 million tonnes by mid-2008.
Simandou
Our Simandou project, located in Guinea, west Africa, has significant resources of high grade iron ore. In August 2010 Rio Tinto signed a binding agreement with Chinalco's listed subsidiary Chalco, under which a joint venture to develop and operate the Simandou iron ore project would be established. Mining operations are expected to start within five years.
Orissa
The Orissa project, a joint venture partnership with state-owned Orissa Mining Company, is located in eastern India. The project will focus on meeting domestic Indian demands for iron ore.
Latest media releases
- 22 December 2011
Rio Tinto and DEC work together for turtles - 05 December 2011
Rio Tinto expands regional FIFO into Albany - 02 December 2011
100 millionth tonne of iron ore shipped from the Pilbara to Baosteel